Martha Medina is a secretary in the obstetrics unit at Central Valley General Hospital in Hanford, Calif. She is also a mother. So when she learned that Maritza Agredano, who was due to deliver a child in two days, had a daughter at home with leukemia, she quickly researched stem cell collection.

Medina informed Agredano of the value of stem cells — present in umbilical cord blood — in treating diseases. Medina also explained that if the cells were harvested at the upcoming birth of her unborn child, the blood could be frozen and saved for possible use in the treatment of her daughter.

Agredano followed up with research of her own and was saddened when some said two days was not enough time to make the necessary arrangements. But this news didn’t discourage her delivery team.

Medina quickly called a stem cell bank and found out how to create a collection kit. Kim Escobar, RN, put the kit together and obstetrician David Nelson, M.D., prepared to harvest the cord blood.

When it came time to deliver the baby, everything was in place. Little Madison arrived at 4:52 p.m. on April 5. Shortly thereafter, a sample of her cord blood was shipped out to a stem cell banking firm. Today, Madison is a healthy baby girl who may one day help her sister become healthy as well.